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Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani, of Japan, follows through on a double during the third inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets, Friday, Aug. 25, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
QUEENS — True to the spirit of Japanese Heritage Night at Citi Field, Shohei Ohtani and Kodai Senga were the focal point of a 3-1 Los Angeles Angels win over the New York Mets on Friday night at Citi Field.
With the loss, the Mets (59-70) — who were held to just four hits — have sunk into last place in the National League East following the Washington Nationals’ victory over the Miami Marlins earlier in the day. They haven’t finished last in the division since 2002.
The Japanese compatriots faced each other three times in Ohtani’s first-ever appearance at Citi Field against a team he has been linked to in trade and free agency talks over the last two seasons. It was the Angels star that came out on top each time at the plate, going 1-1 for with a pair of walks against Senga, who otherwise had yet another solid outing in his rookie season.
He was retired in his fourth at-bat of the night by Mets reliever Adam Kolarek, who coaxed a groundout to first and was intentionally walked in the ninth inning to load the bases with two outs after the Angels scratched their third run of the night across thanks to Nolan Schanuel’s RBI single.
Ohtani helped spark the Angels’ two-run third inning that provided the difference when he ripped a double that left the bat at 115.4 mph beyond the outstretched glove of Jeff McNeil in right field — who had been turned around by the knuckling screamer — to put runners on second and third. Following a Brandon Drury sacrifice fly to bring in the opening run on Senga, Mike Moustakas scored Ohtani from third with a clean single.
Senga rebounded to once again allow three or fewer runs for an 11th…
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